Monday, October 7, 2013

HOLY STOKED. BANGALORE. INDIA.

HOLY STOKED are a skate collective from Bangalore, India who spread their love and passion of skateboarding through holding free skateboard/schooling for the less fortunate lower class children from around the area. The children who attend the lessons daily live around the immediate area of the skatepark in makeshift tarpaulin tents with their whole family. No fresh running water. No sewage or electricity and due to their parents earning less than the desired wage the children are often sent out to work on construction sites, restaurants working long hours doing back breaking work. Often receiving no form of education due to the prices being unrealistic. What we found out from the few kids who did attend school from the tent cities is that they were treated like utter street dogs from teachers and fellow siblings. For the young girls the situation is even worse. It is always believed that the woman must stay at home and serve the family so they are even less likely to receive an education, they are excluded from many games and really from associating with their brothers and their friends as they must stay at home learning how to cook and clean or taking care of their younger siblings. It was amazing to see the young girls and boys coming together to share something together in this case in the form of skateboarding.

Our last week in India was spent attending the daily skate lessons and helped out with the children. We all chipped in and bought them basic english picture books, pens and text books and it was mind altering when some of the children said this was the first time they had ever seen what a tiger of elephant looks like.